Top Nine for Nineteen-Ninety-Nine

This was surely the greatest year for movies of the decade. Classic directors returned, American art classics came to life, and toys trudged to freedom. I have not seen all of the movies I have wanted to see so this list is tentative; subject to change upon viewing other efforts from these spectacular twelve months. Any year in which a film the quality of Magnolia barely makes the list is truly incredible. So, without further ado, here goes my favorite nine for the year 1999:

9. Magnolia -
Ambitious would be the one word to describe Magnolia. Drawing upon his unique skills of interweaving storylines together, P.T. Anderson made a sprawling character epic of desolation and failure. Often frustrating but always intense, it featured some of the best single scenes in the entire year. It could have easily become the best of the bunch but small flaws hurt. Still, Magnolia was a film to be appreciated, respected, and studied.

8. The Matrix -
I'm not sure I've ever seen a film that was quite the adrenaline rush that The Matrix turned out to be. Stunningly directed by The Wachowski Brothers and using innovative new camera techniques, it was a non-stop feast for the eyes and the intellect. Wonderfully philosophical and jam packed with bullets, it's a film where I left the theater wanting, expecting, in fact begging for a sequel.

7. The Talented Mr. Ripley -
Anthony Minghella of The English Patient accolades, directed this novel of a suspenseful thriller encompassed around the serene vistas of the Italian landscapes. The film is gorgeous yet the characters and the intriguing nature of the story is what confounded audiences. Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow give outstanding performances, with Damon seemingly being born to fill the title role. The film moves with the silent quality of a book and with enough visual style to captivate even the most hardened viewers.

6. Being John Malkovich -
In a year filled with delightful zaniness, Being John Malkovich proved to be the most original and mystifying film of the year. Working off a startlingly original script by Charlie Kaufman, Spike Jonze weaved a hilarious blend of wacky characters and philosophical wizardry. With their abundant talent now exposed to the world, there is no doubt we'll see the off-the-wall combination of Kaufman and Jonze again.

5. Fight Club -
David Fincher presented an arresting psychological satire with enough visual flourish to warp the mind. Starting from the in-your-face first shot all the way to the gleeful anarchy of the finale, Fincher's punchy tale was black comedy, social satire, action fare, character drama, and suspenseful mind trip all combined into one. It's difficult to characterize a film that crosses this many genres so convincingly, but it's easy to call it one of the best of the year.

4. The Insider -
Director Michael Mann moves from the bullet casings of Heat to the legal papers of The Insider in very convincing fashion. The tension steadily builds throughout the over two and a half hour length to almost unbearable levels. Mann introduces the characters patiently, letting the material speak for itself. Working from an engaging script, Mann directed an unbelievable cast, including Al Pacino as 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman, Christopher Plummer as Mike Wallace, and Russell Crowe as Jeffrey Wigand, the former tobacco company executive under fire.

3. Toy Story 2 -
Finally a sequel that surpasses the already stunning original. John Lasseter's motto should be "Have script, will dazzle." No movie this year was this flat-out entertaining. The folks at Pixar are yet to turn out a less than compelling family film that can touch every viewers heart and have you rolling in the aisles laughing. The characters are so real it's hard to believe they're computer animated or, in real life, would be made of plastic. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. It looked great too.

2. American Beauty -
Easily the most respected and loved film of the year, Sam Mendes directorial debut about a father's midlife crisis in American suburbia might be classified in the future as the most accessible American art film ever. Alan Ball constructs the wicked script and Mendes, making the transfer from theater to film, displays a deft hand for characterization and symbolism. The entire cast is uniformly excellent in this adult drama, which seemingly came out of nowhere to create the most heated buzz of the year.

1. Eyes Wide Shut -
If you take a gander at my review for this film, you'll see that it's downright crazy. No, this isn't cinematic perfection, I take that back. However, it's darn close. Kubrick established himself even more as a God to me with this riveting psychological sexual drama about jealousy in relationships. Tom Cruise gives his best performance ever in a leading role and Nicole Kidman is superb in her supporting role. Haunting, yet graceful and strangely erotic, this delved into human consciousness like few films have. Beautifully photographed with the mesmerizing skill of a master, Eyes Wide Shut was spectacularly hypnotic.

List Composed on 1/10/00